Parasakthi Box Office Collection Day 1: Sivakarthikeyan, Sreeleela's film opens to slow start, mints THIS amount

Parasakthi, starring Sivakarthikeyan and Sreeleela, has had a slow start at the domestic box office. The Tamil-language historical political drama collected approximately ₹3.79 crore on its opening day, according to industry tracking platform Sacnilk.

The film recorded an overall Tamil occupancy of 53.92% on Day 1. Morning shows saw relatively low footfalls at 45.71%, while afternoon shows improved to 62.13%, indicating some pick-up as the day progressed. Evening and night show trends are expected to determine whether the film can build momentum over the weekend.

Directed by Sudha Kongara and produced by Dawn Pictures, Parasakthi is set in 1960s Madras and is positioned as a political drama rooted in the socio-political churn of the anti-Hindi agitations in Tamil Nadu. The film attempts to blend personal narratives with a larger political movement, a genre that has historically found mixed commercial success.

Apart from Sivakarthikeyan and Sreeleela, the ensemble cast includes Ravi Mohan, Atharvaa and Rana Daggubati, along with Kulappulli Leela, Prakash Belawadi, Dev Ramnath, Prithvi Rajan and Guru Somasundaram in supporting roles.

Audience response on social media, however, has been largely underwhelming so far. Several early viewers took to X to share their reactions, with criticism largely centred on the film’s pacing and writing. While some acknowledged Sudha Kongara’s intent and the authenticity of the period setting, many felt the execution did not live up to expectations.

One viewer described the film as “unbearable”, pointing to what they called excessive build-up and over-the-top presentation. Another rated the film 1.5 out of 5, noting that while the first half was passable, the second half dragged considerably. A section of viewers also felt that the emotional core of the language movement lacked depth and failed to make a lasting impact.

A user wrote, "A powerful, authentic well made film by #SudhaKongara on the historic Anti-Hindi students agitation during 60’s in TN laced with love, sentiments & drama. The last 30 minutes is edge of the seat.

What makes it tick is the superb characterisation & performance of #Sivakarthikeyan from a nobody to a rebel who spearheads the movement. And his cat & mouse game with the deadly antagonist played well by #RaviMohan. #Atharva role is riveting."

With mixed word-of-mouth and a modest opening day collection, Parasakthi will now depend on weekend growth to stabilise its box office performance. How the film holds over the next few days will be crucial in determining whether it can overcome its slow start.